We did it ! First flowers to reach a patient in the UK

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

 

Legal cannabis by post_ inside the farm behind a British first 2

Although I am very proud of what we have achieved as a team, I must admit that the last few months have been very testing.

Our team has made history by delivering a UK-grown flower to a patient through a legal, commercial route for the first time.

I am proud of my work and would do it again if needed.

 

Starting from scratch four years ago, there are certainly a few things I would do differently today based on what I have learned along the way.

Despite all the successes, I still find it challenging to enjoy the moment, as nothing is ever perfect in the present.

“As you ascend a mountain, you focus on your hands, gripping the rocks to ensure you don’t fall. The more challenging the climb, the tighter your grip becomes, but in doing so, you might overlook the beauty behind you. Take a moment to stop and look back at the path you’ve traveled. Appreciate the unique view you’ve created for yourself.”

I should listen to this inner voice more often…and will do TODAY.

 

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The perfect Entrecote ?!

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

 

Cooking a large entrecôte (rib-eye steak) to be nicely warm inside while achieving a good sear on the outside can be approached in a few ways. Here are some considerations and methods for each technique:

 

Pan-Seared and Oven-Finished

 

  1. Pan-Searing:
  • Preheat: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Season: Season the entrecôte generously with salt and pepper.
  • Sear: Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over high heat until very hot. Add a small amount of high smoke-point oil (like canola or grapeseed oil).
  • Cook: Sear the entrecôte for 2-3 minutes on each side until a deep brown crust forms.
  1. Oven-Finishing:
  • Transfer: Once seared, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.
  • Cook: Cook in the oven until the desired internal temperature is reached (use a meat thermometer):
  • Rare: 120-125°F (49-52°C)
  • Medium-rare: 130-135°F (54-57°C)
  • Medium: 140-145°F (60-63°C)
  • Medium-well: 150-155°F (65-68°C)
  • Rest: Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

 

Oven-Roasted

 

  1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Season: Season the entrecôte with salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices you prefer.
  3. Prepare: Place the steak on a rack in a roasting pan to allow air circulation.
  4. Cook: Roast in the oven until the desired internal temperature is reached.
  5. Rest: Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

 

Sous Vide (if you reconsider)

 

  1. Preheat: Preheat your sous vide water bath to the desired temperature:
  • Rare: 125°F (52°C)
  • Medium-rare: 130°F (54°C)
  • Medium: 140°F (60°C)
  • Medium-well: 150°F (65°C)
  1. Season and Seal: Season the entrecôte with salt, pepper, and any herbs or aromatics. Place in a vacuum-sealed bag.
  2. Cook: Submerge the sealed steak in the water bath for 1-2 hours.
  3. Sear: After sous vide cooking, heat a skillet until very hot and quickly sear the steak for 1-2 minutes on each side for a nice crust.

 

Recommendation

 

For the best balance of flavor, texture, and warmth throughout the steak, I recommend the Pan-Seared and Oven-Finished method. This approach provides a well-developed crust from the searing process and allows you to gently bring the steak up to the desired internal temperature in the oven, ensuring even cooking and warmth.

 

Ensure you use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking, and remember to let the steak rest before slicing to retain its juices.

 

Resting the meat after cooking is a crucial step for several reasons:

 

  1. Juice Redistribution:

 

  • During cooking, the heat causes the meat’s fibers to contract, pushing the juices towards the center of the meat.
  • Resting allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. If you cut into the meat immediately after cooking, the juices will flow out, leading to a drier steak.

 

  1. Enhanced Flavor and Texture:

 

  • When juices redistribute, they not only keep the meat moist but also enhance the overall flavor.
  • The meat fibers relax during resting, making the texture more tender and enjoyable to eat.

 

  1. Temperature Equalization:

 

  • Resting helps to even out the temperature within the meat. The outer parts of the meat cool slightly while the center’s heat continues to spread, resulting in a more uniformly warm piece of meat.
  • This helps avoid a hot exterior with a cold or undercooked center, providing a better eating experience.

 

  1. Improved Presentation:

 

  • Resting reduces the likelihood of juices running all over the plate when the meat is cut, leading to a neater presentation.
  • It allows the meat to set, making it easier to carve into even slices.

 

How Long to Rest Meat

 

  • Steaks and Chops: Rest for 5-10 minutes.
  • Roasts: Rest for 15-20 minutes or more, depending on the size of the roast.

 

Practical Tip

 

Cover the meat loosely with aluminium foil to keep it warm while resting. This prevents it from cooling too quickly without trapping steam and making the crust soggy.

 

By incorporating a resting period, you ensure that your entrecôte (or any meat) is juicier, more flavorful, and better presented, ultimately enhancing the dining experience.

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Polishing Table

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

TYPES OF POLISHING COMPOUNDS (SUBCATEGORIES)

Below are the Sub-categories of commonly used polishing compounds:

BROWN TRIPOLI

This polishing compound is used on soft metals like brass, copper, and aluminum. The brown tripoli can easily eliminate lines or scratches (not too rough) from the surfaces. It can also be applied on wood surfaces and give them a lustrous finish.

WHITE POLISHING COMPOUND

This polishing compound is mainly used for hard metals like stainless steel and metals like nickel-plated and gives them a brighter shine. It is also an ideal choice for cutting and the intermediate polishing process.

BLACK POLISHING COMPOUND

The black polishing compound is the harshest polishing compound, usually contains emery as an abrasive, and is a great starting point after 180 grit sandpaper. It is ideal for removing deep scratches from platinum and stainless steel. Also used to smooth rough surfaces. It can be used on lap wheels, muslin, sisal, and treated buffs.

BLUE POLISHING COMPOUND

This polishing compound works well on non-ferrous metals or almost any type of metal to give it a smooth final polish. For better results, use it with a buffing wheel.

GREEN POLISHING COMPOUND

This intermediate polishing compound is also known for its high-quality, mirror-like finish. As a result, it is mostly used for stainless steel. It is also known as stainless steel compound. This compound also works for brass and all non-precious metals. You can use it with a muslin buff for scratch removal from 240 grit sandpaper or a loose fold flannel buff for a high lustre finish.

PINK POLISHING COMPOUND

The pink polishing or dual-purpose compound is used in the initial stage of soft metal and the final stage of hard metal polishing to get extra finishing. It’s one of the most adaptable compounds, as it works on wood, plastic, and painted surfaces.

RED POLISHING COMPOUND

Red polishing compound is also known as Jeweler’s rouge or red rouge. It gives a high lustre finish to precious metals like gold and silver, which is why it is popular in the jewelry trade. Use it with a 6-inch loose fold buff at about 3000 RPM for best results.

YELLOW POLISHING COMPOUND

This Yellow Rouge is a dry, low-residue polishing compound that gives gold, platinum, stainless steel, and other hard metals a high-gloss finish. It is good to apply after 240 grit to 320 grit sandpaper. Use it with non-treated muslin or felt-stitched buffs running at about 3000 RPM. This compound can be used in brass, silver, and polymer pieces.

Apart from the polishing compounds described above, there are a variety of polishing compounds available depending on the material and application. I hope this will help you select the appropriate polishing compound for your masterpiece.

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She’s got a point…

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

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I am in the Newspapers…

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

Original Link here

 

The text for backup.

Guardian Article

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Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

Work is consuming me way too much, I have not enough Oli days…

Chat GPT needs to step in and replace me.

Happy Valentine!

 

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Rice measures

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Olivier Dehon

I am always looking for these measures when making rice in the Slow cooker !

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Croquetas de Jamon

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

I love these when we go to a tapas restaurant, so I had to have a go myself.

It is fairly easy to do. Essentially, it is a thick bechamel with Serano cut in small cubes rolled into breadcrumbs and deep fried.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients :

  • 70g Butter
  • 70g Flour
  • 180g Serano
  • Nutmeg / Pepper
  • 500 ml Milk
  • Bread crumbs
  • 2 to 3 eggs for the coating with the breadcrumbs

How to make :

  • Melt butter in a pan and mix flour. It will clump up in the pan, but it is ok. Cook for a couple of minutes
  • Add all the milk in one go and mix well to create a creamy sauce.
  • Add the Serano, nutmeg and pepper.
  • Let cook a bit more so that you get a thick bechamel, which starts to detach from the sides of the pan.
  • Put into a bowl or container to go into the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
  • Once the bechamel has “set”, cut into even pieces to make the croquetas.
  • Roll into flour/egg /panko breadcrumbs
  • Deep fry at 170 degrees Celsius.

 

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Another Bread

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 250ml warm milk
  • 110ml water
  • 1tsp / 5g / Sugar
  • 1tsp / 5g / Salt
  • 2tsp / 10g / Yeast
  • 300-320g of Flour
  • 60g of melted butter (to be added as last ingredient)

How to make:

  • Mix Milk, water, sugar, salt, yeast
  • Add Flour and mix
  • Add butter and mix well
  • Leave to rise for 1 hour
  • Make 9 Bals and place into Pyrex cooking dish (3X3)
  • Make egg wash with 1 egg and a bit of melted butter
  • Cook in warm oven at 200 for 30 minutes approx
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Small Brioche Buns

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

I am trying a different recipe for these small brioche buns. This is work in progress.

See my other recipes as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 450g of Strong Flour (13g to 14g of Proteins per 100g of flour)
  • 10g kosher salt
  • 50g white sugar
  • 7g bread yeast (I use the DCL Saf Yeast)
  • 100ml of warm milk
  • 4 eggs (for the dough) + 1 egg for the wash
  • 190g of salted, cubed, softened butter

How to make:

  • Warm the milk and dissolve the yeast into it with a bit of sugar
  • Place flour, salt and sugar in a mixer with a dough hook
  • Add milk, yeast, and eggs and mix for 10 minutes.
  • After the 10 minutes have passed, cut the butter into cubes
  • Add butter to the dough over 8 minutes (a few cubes at a time).
  • Let bread rise for 90 minutes
  • Put into the fridge for 60 minutes
  • Bring out of the fridge and separate into six portions
  • Make small balls with each portion by rolling the dough on itself (similar to making other breadsticks)
  • Place onto a silicone sheet and cover with a towel for 30-40 minutes. They will rise again.
  • Use an egg wash to cover the buns.
  • Place into a pre-heated fan oven at 160 degrees. For approximately 15-20 minutes or until nicely golden.

Enjoy!

 

 

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3D Project for Mouse repairs

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Olivier Dehon


I am repairing a mouse wheel for a friend.

It was a bit tricky because of the tiny sizes involved. I designed it in Fuion360, then used my new 3D Printer using supports for the overhangs.

It was printed using Carbon Fiber infused PLA. I am unsure if it will last, but now that I have the design, I can re-print it quickly.

 

 

 

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New 3D Printer

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

I got myself an updated 3D Printer.

One of the first projects was to repair a Marketing stand for my business. The new printer is very nice with good first-layer adhesion and fast speed. It supports almost any type of filament and has a multi-colour automatic switching device.

I am delighted with it, and my love of 3D printing has a renewed lease of life.

Although the technology has not changed too much, the implementation of it is a lot better. For example, the initial purging of the nozzle, the online and App capabilities, the speed, the adhesion of the first layer, the software upgrades and the options available for printing.

I made some End Caps for the aluminium clip, which would open up without End Cap.  I used fursion360 as usual and started from a photo of the edge and then modelled the part iteratively until it would have a good fit. I then used the mirror feature of fusion360 to generate the other side end-cap. I printed the parts using a carbon fiber-infused PLA filament.

The printer is a BambuLab X1 Carbon with the AMS.

 

As I rekindled with my 3D printing, I made some inventory of my old filament and started making sure that the filament I already owned was of good quality. In particular, the filament must be “dry” (as it tends to absorb the ambient humidity).

I realised I already had 30 filaments of various colours and other types.

Examples :

  • Shinny PLA
  • Matt PLA
  • Glow in the Dark Green PLA
  • Glow in the Dark Blue PLA
  • Carbon fiber infused PLA
  • Wood infused PLA
  • Neon coloured PETG
  • NYLON filament
  • Transluscent PLA etc…
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Lamb Shanks

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

Original post was 8th November 2020

I have made this recipe a few times and need to make a blog post for easy future access.

No Photos yet of mine but trust me it is delicious.

 

 

 

Ingredients :

  • 4 Lamb Shanks
  • 250ml to 500ml of Chicken Stock
  • 2 or 3 onions to taste
  • A bag of carrots
  • 3 cloves of garlic crushed
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Spices: Salt, Pepper, Ras el Anou, smoked paprika, nutmeg, maybe a bit of herb of Provence.
  • Optional: a glass of red wine to deglaze the casserole with the vegetables.

How to make :

  • It is prepared very similarly to an Osso Bucco
  • Heat a “Le Creuset” casserole with olive oil and spices.
  • The spices are the secret of the final taste. So this is the place to use your own twist.
  • Brown the Shanks for at least 10 minutes in the casserole.
  • As the lamb is browning, peel and cut the carrots in medium-sized slices.
  • Chop the onions and crush the garlic.
  • Set the Shanks in a separate bowl and cook the vegetables for a few minutes.
  • This will lift all the stuck on meat juices and coat the vegetables with fat from the casserole.
  • Once the vegetables have roasted a little, add the shanks back into the casserole with any juices that have come out.
  • Add chicken stock until it covers the vegetables and up to half of the shanks. Probably between 250ml and 500ml of chicken stock.
  • Put the casserole with a lid on in the oven at 180degres for 2 hours. (for fan assisted)

Serve with roasted potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes.

This is a great dish to uplift the spirit in Confinement or early winter…

 

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Getting old

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

Recently it was my birthday. Now 56, a «non-real number » birthday …had many messages from my friends. Current ones and very old ones. It made me very happy and made the day a lot more bearable.

 

 

 

I won’t talk about my ever-approaching terminal day as somebody famous once said :

Parler de la mort est un manque de savoir vivre.

It is a great play on words that I cannot translate properly to convey the double meaning of savoir vivre. The pure translation would be “knowing how to live”, but in French, it also has the meaning of knowledge of the world and the ways or usages of polite society.

Yes, one day, like everyone else, I will die, but all the other days, I will live !…

Thank you to all my friends.

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Magura Brake Bleed

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

Very recently, I tried to bleed the front brakes on my bike and made a complete mess out of it. Breaking the bleed valve on the handle.

Below is how to do it for the next time!

Prepare 2 syringes and the yellow bricks.

Remove the brake pads and replace them with yellow bricks to ensure that the brake cylinders are pushed in on both sides evenly.

Remove the brake calliper from the frame, as it will be easier to do the work.

Remove the bleed screw at the calliper and install the syringe with 30ml of blue oil. Try to push the air out of the syringe before connecting. Overall, we are trying to remove any bubbles in the overall system and also replace as much as possible of the oil in the system with new oil.

Adjust the handle so that the bleed port is horizontal. This might require other parts of the handlebar equipment to be moved as well.

Open the bleed port on the handle carefully, as it is made of plastic and will brake if too tight. (0.5Nm max).

Install the top string into the bleed port. No need for adapters. Just push in firmly. This syringe has no plunger.

Use the Caliper side syringe to push and pull the oil through the system to remove all the bubbles. Do it several times to ensure all the little bubbles are out. Tap the line with a tool to dislodge any bubbles that might be in the line.

Remove the calliper syringe. This is best done with the calliper at a similar height to the handle so that there is not too much flow of oil. Close the port.

Do the same with the handle syringe and close the port. Be careful with the bleed screw.

Clean everything with the brake cleaner and re-assemble.

 

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Free

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

I love the beauty of the sea and how free and also fragile it makes me feel. Very similar to a vertical drop in a large powder field.

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Big Milestone acheived

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

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This is super nice…

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

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Using the CNC Mill

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

At last, I have used my old Sherline Mill with the new Masso controller. This is part of a general upgrade of my tools in my workshop.

I started the upgrade process by replacing the old CO2 laser with a new 60W (just the emitter) and used the opportunity to upgrade the controller to a RUIDA, which now accepts a more modern software controller called Lighburn. I also bought a long overdue Honeycomb plate to prevent back burns on my cuts and finally improved the lighting in the cutting chamber with a new LED light. Not cheap overall, but I had not updated this tool for 10 years or more. The rest of the hardware is still in perfect condition.

While waiting for parts, I tried to use my CNC Mill and realised that it could do with an upgrade as well so I decided to splash out on a new Masso controller. I went for the touch version and am very pleased with it so far.

The first project was to cut a pocket hole into a box I made with the laser a few years ago. I had “forgotten” in my design, that there would be a razor blade. It has been an annoyance for years. I could have redone the whole Laser cut wood bit but I decided I could try to use this as an opportunity for a first CNC project for my new controller.

I used Fusion360 to create the tool paths and downloaded them into the controller. I have recently installed limit switches on my CNC mill, and I should have done this many years ago. It completely transforms the use of the controller and the precision of the milling. I will probably upgrade the end switches as currently they are only installed with double-sided tape!

 

 

 

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Artificial intelligence

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Olivier Dehon

The following drawings/pictures have all been created by an artificial intelligence software called midjourney. You provide a TEXT entry and the computer creates the image.

For example here is what I used:

  • A skier in the powder
  • A heart with some code written on it
  • A steampunk device with 2 solar panels and a capacitor
  • A small electronic device which resembles a satellite with a blinking light on a wooden plank in a 16:9 format….

 

It is fun and also scary…

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